MOMBASA, Kenya -- A British-owned cargo ship and a Taiwanese fishing boat have become the lastest vessels to be seized by Somali pirates, local reports indicated.

The BBC, citing reports from Kenya, said the British-owned Malaspina Castle was hijacked in the Gulf of Aden and the Taiwanese boat was commandeered near the Seychelles.

The broadcaster said the Malaspina Castle is a 32,000-ton vessel that was carrying a cargo of iron. The ship, seized Monday, reportedly flies a Panamanian flag and is run by a crew of 24 from Bulgaria, Russia, Ukraine and the Philippines.

The hijackings followed the the seizures of French, Yemeni and German vessels during the weekend, the BBC said.